The Los Angeles Sparks have ended the season with somewhat of a historic record, but before you jump to any conclusions, it’s not a positive one. With 32 losses this regular season, Curt Miller’s Sparks wrapped up one of their worst seasons, setting a record for the most losses in WNBA history. This led to frustration among fans, particularly directed at owner, Magic Johnson. However, after days of unrest, the person widely blamed has finally offered a sigh of relief.

On October 6, the Sparks took to their official X account and announced, “The Los Angeles Sparks have retained TurnkeyZRG, a leading executive search firm specializing in sports, media, and entertainment, to assist in the search for a new head coach.” Well, all this started right before the Sparks’ final game of the regular season.

With the team already at 31 losses, they made the tough decision to part ways with head coach Curt Miller. However, the decision is reportedly mutual, where both the franchise and the former head coach will look to put this rather forgettable 2024 campaign behind them in order to facilitate a fresh start. The 56-year-old took charge of the Sparks last year with an improved 17-23 record. However, this regular season (2024), he encountered a series of setbacks, leading to his departure.

According to the team’s managing partner, Eric Holoman, Miller did put in an impressive effort, but it wasn’t enough to deliver results. That’s why Miller’s tenure ended with a 25-55 record. Injuries and team dynamics contributed to the steep decline, but Magic Johnson’s Sparks is now looking ahead, with TurnkeyZRG acting as a catalyst in their search for a new head coach. Who will be the next head coach for the Sparks?

Here are some potential candidates for the vacant spot

While Miller’s connections and impact over the past two years won’t be easy to replace, he did leave the team with a 44% chance of securing the first overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft after their two years’ worth of struggle. This increases the appeal of the head coaching position, as the team is already on the rise. Among the standout candidates is Katie Smith.

Minnesota’s associate head coach has played a key role in the Lynx’s 11-win improvement from 2023 to 2024. Now that the team has finished as the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, Smith’s candidacy could offer the Sparks the stability they need. On top of that, Smith has had multiple stints as an associate coach with Cheryl Reeve, Team USA’s head coach. What further sets Katie Smith apart is the fact that she has played 15 seasons in the league from 1999-2015, where she bagged a pair of championships in 2006 and 2008 with the Detroit Shock. Additionally, she has been the head coach for New York Liberty in the 2018-2019 season.

Another option is the NBA assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers, Jenny Boucek. Although Boucek hasn’t coached in the WNBA since 2017, she has valuable experience from her time with the Seattle Storm. In fact, before her NBA career, she served as an assistant with the Washington Mystics before being promoted to head coach of the Storm in 2015.

Then there’s Lisa Leslie. Though the 2x WNBA champion is yet to roam the sidelines of the WNBA hardwood, the former Sparks star has coached the Triplets of the Big 3, which is Ice Cube’s 3-on-3 basketball league, where she also earned the coach of the year in 2019. Hailing from Gardena, the 52-year-old would be a familiar face to the Sparks fans for them to place their faith in.

While all of this remains speculative, the true answer is yet to be revealed. Stay tuned to find out who will become the Sparks’ 18th head coach!